Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Sky Blue

Guest
Jan 8, 2005
6,856
11
1. The demonstrator said this is compatible with all iOS 7 devices. I still am not sure if iPhone 4 or iPad 3 will actually work, based on reports of the steel stratus controller. It would be great if it really works with all iOS 7 30 pin devices.

It's bluetooth so it shouldn't matter.
 

bilboa

macrumors regular
Jan 16, 2008
213
1
Because play games on the phone with controller is pointless. If I am going to get a mobile game player, I would get PSP or PS Vita. Lots more interesting games and more comfort to use than iPhone with Mi-Fi controller.

Also I would rather playing FPS, racing games, PRG games on xBox or PS or PC. Bigger screen always means better gaming experience.

You're certainly entitled to your opinions and preferences. I still don't get why you feel compelled to drop into a thread about something that by your own admission you're not interested in, and state your preferences as if they were facts. It would be like me dropping into a golf forum just to state how much I'm not interested in playing golf, and that clearly that means playing video games is superior to playing golf. What would be the point?
 

Icaras

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2008
6,344
3,393
It's really that bad? Ug. Well, that cancels my plans to buy a MFi controller and AV cable.

Some people continue to be impressed with lightning, but it seems like an utter failure. Commercial "success" in that it's packaged with successful products, but handily beaten by it's predecessor in nearly all regards that matter to people.

Let's build a proprietary port protocol that ignores audio out and video out, you know, the reason that people tend to plug stuff in to things. While we're at it, let's waste half the pins on a half-baked reversible connector and require costly amplifier chips and software to do anything. Let's slow down development so our own first party dock is a year late to the party. Lastly, despite it being reversible, let's make it much harder to plug in. Don't forget to hype expectations so high that we're bound to it for a decade. Sounds like a party. I'll bring the hummus.

This from the company that gave us MagSafe. We would have been better off with just a nice charging cable LIKE MagSafe, and handle all data wirelessly (though that's not ideal for a plethora of reasons). See Nexus 7 2012's pogo pins, or other wireless situations.

If Lightning can't keep up with us today, what's it going to be like in 10 years?

Hate to say it, but the android microUSB and MHL humpers were right. Especially when they finalize the reversible version. If it's relative sturdy and easy to plug in, game over (for this particular feature comparison)

/rant

Yea it's bad. But I think there is still some light in the tunnel with potential products and technology down the pipeline.

For one, let's not count out the rumors of the Apple TV refresh. That of course, supports direct HDMI out, and the possibilities of the Apple TV getting a full fledge app store and MFi controller support is what I've been waiting for for years. I think it would be awesome if Apple allowed any iOS game purchased with full MFi support to be branded a new form of "universal" app support that would automatically run on Apple TVs. That would solve any problems with latency in iOS games on the big screen with one fell swoop.

Secondly, there is also 802.11ac, and with the news today that Broadcom has developed a 5G chip for iOS devices, I hope that it can improve Airplay considerably.

Really can't wait for the first Apple keynote of the year.
 

WilliamLondon

macrumors 68000
Dec 8, 2006
1,699
13
I see this as a positive move that we continue to see improved controllers and their prices are beginning to come down. This is going to continue to put pressure on dedicated game devices, portable ones first, but even consoles will start getting squeezed. My guess is that portable gaming devices will take the biggest hit over the next year or two and the console will really feel it about 2 years out. I say this because as good as the A7/M7 chips are, they still cannot support console level games. I suspect that in two years, the increase capabilities of the chips (assume the A9/M9) will be very competent and capable of running console level games. And with the controllers fully matured, I think there it will be difficult for folks to justify the added expense of a console when you have it all on the iPhone/iPad that you can easily airplay to the apple TV. (and yes google will have a cheaper ad supported counter to this as well through chromecast).

Well stated, agree completely. Look at how far these games have come in such a short amount of time. GTA San Andreas was released on the PS2 less than 10 years ago and now it's on a mobile device, how great is that?! I think most people don't care so much about the increased graphics and speed of the newer consoles such that they're going to keep buying them when these devices are catching up so rapidly. Sure, there is a segment that will always enjoy the dedicated console (me included), but I think that group is shrinking since the alternatives for playing games (without a dedicated console) are so good, and the gap between the two is shrinking rapidly.

Just imagine that the ATV finally gets an app store - day one there will be numerous games available to play that aren't relying on touch as the interface. Perhaps this is the plan all along??

FPS on iPhone just stupid

the idea of a controller on iOS is ludicrous.

solution without a problem

Well the authorities of all things acceptable and good have spoken. We must now bow down to those who have declared themselves to be "the only opinions allowed," thank you so much, we mere morons and idiots who didn't previously enjoy possessing your opinions have been so enlightened by your comments.

In the same vein let's send a bunch of men onto a feminine products forum and declare the things they are interested in to be "stupid," "ludicrous" and "solutions without a problem," because it is for only the self-centred individual that all things must be made, it is only the self-centred individual's interests which are deemed relevant, and to everyone else, *conform* or be warned, you will be judged forever here after, there is only one opinion allowed, and yours is not it.

This is a discussion forum, if you disagree with something there are respectful ways of expressing a dissenting opinion, but the first thing is that you need to leave your judgment of others and their opinions elsewhere. An opinion that isn't your own isn't stupid or ludicrous or ignorant, it's just a different opinion, based on different criteria about how others view these devices. It's the height of arrogance and offence to go into a thread to tell people you aren't interested in something they find of interest.
 

Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,956
355
Troutdale, OR
It's bluetooth so it shouldn't matter.

I totally agree...... Except the steel series controller (which is also bluetooth) displayes an unsupported accessory error on the ipad 3 (and other older ios 7 devices) according to several people who tried it on toucharcade.

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=204136&page=110

I am not sure if it that particular controller, or a general limitation of ios 7 on the ipad 3 that caused the problem. I suspect it is ios limitation vs the controller maker's implementation, but who knows.

It could be a simple bug as well that ios 7.1 will correct.

These are the only devices work with the steelseries:

iPhone 5-5C-5S
IPAD:iPad 4,iPad air,iPad mini
IPOD: iPod 5gen

The funny thing is that people have used the ps3 jailbreak controller add-on with the ipad 3 works fine when an official ios controller won't....
 

bilboa

macrumors regular
Jan 16, 2008
213
1
I totally agree...... Except the steel series controller (which is also bluetooth) displayes an unsupported accessory error on the ipad 3 (and other older ios 7 devices) according to several people who tried it on toucharcade.

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=204136&page=110

I am not sure if it that particular controller, or a general limitation of ios 7 on the ipad 3 that caused the problem. I suspect it is ios limitation vs the controller maker's implementation, but who knows.

It could be a simple bug as well that ios 7.1 will correct.

These are the only devices work with the steelseries:

iPhone 5-5C-5S
IPAD:iPad 4,iPad air,iPad mini
IPOD: iPod 5gen

The funny thing is that people have used the ps3 jailbreak controller add-on with the ipad 3 works fine when an official ios controller won't....

MFi controllers only work with devices that have a Lightning connector, even the bluetooth controllers for some reason. The iPad 3 doesn't have Lightning so it won't work. Same with the iPhone 4S. The Controllers for All hack which allows PS3 controllers to be used does work on both devices, which shows that the restriction to lightning devices is artificial and unnecessary.
 
Last edited:

SPUY767

macrumors 68020
Jun 22, 2003
2,041
131
GA
I've always liked the ps3 and ps4 controllers more than Xbox. Personal preference.

They've always fit more naturally in your hand, but I think for an FPS, the XBOX control stick is in a better place, but for a platformer, there is no competition.
 

willcapellaro

macrumors 6502
Oct 20, 2011
345
6
Yea it's bad. But I think there is still some light in the tunnel with potential products and technology down the pipeline.

For one, let's not count out the rumors of the Apple TV refresh. That of course, supports direct HDMI out, and the possibilities of the Apple TV getting a full fledge app store and MFi controller support is what I've been waiting for for years. I think it would be awesome if Apple allowed any iOS game purchased with full MFi support to be branded a new form of "universal" app support that would automatically run on Apple TVs. That would solve any problems with latency in iOS games on the big screen with one fell swoop.

Secondly, there is also 802.11ac, and with the news today that Broadcom has developed a 5G chip for iOS devices, I hope that it can improve Airplay considerably.

Really can't wait for the first Apple keynote of the year.

I want to keep hoping. A lot of people do. But they don't make it easy.
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
Well that's unfortunate for you.

Not really, Mad Catz are known for poorly made controllers. To take an existing product they have and stick on some plastic wings to put your phone looks to continue that trend.
 

mdelvecchio

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2010
3,151
1,149
Because play games on the phone with controller is pointless. If I am going to get a mobile game player, I would get PSP or PS Vita. Lots more interesting games and more comfort to use than iPhone with Mi-Fi controller.
.

people said the same of point and shoots, but the market said differently -- general devices like he iphone are "good enough" for most people. and it disrupts the specialized devices....skate to where the puck is going, not where it is now. it's on mobile devices.
 

sycadog

macrumors newbie
Feb 25, 2014
5
0
This could be a hot item if it works with the rumored update of the AppleTV along with a game App Store. Now that's a 'game' changer.
 

Muk4r0

macrumors newbie
Nov 29, 2012
29
6
Silly

Why apple isn't following the same approach as bluetooth keyboard support?!

It is a standard, cross platform and a cheap solution.

The treatment that this program is giving to gamepad accessory is a trail & error path to hard push a proprietary console market that doesn't make sense at all. Apple by closing this in a tight fashion contrary to what we are use to in the computer industry is hurting the manufacturer, developers and the end user experience.

Support do not equals exploitation, as off right know everyone in the chain involved in this MFi controller support program are not well motivated by it's implementation, on the contrary are usually ripped off, and less inclined to participate with this mess. Sure it is a danger to the initiative. What we have right now :

Proprietary, exclusive end expensive.
 
Last edited:

poppy10

macrumors regular
Sep 25, 2012
231
257
UK
Why are all of these controllers designed for iPhone rather than iPad? Let's face it, gaming on iPhone is mainly going to be casual pick-up-and-play stuff, nothing that you would bother digging out your controller and hooking it up for. Wouldn't it be better to have these designed for iPad for more serious gaming sessions?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.